Machine for slotting venetian blind slats



March 6, 1951 J. T. LLOYD 2,543,917

MACHINE FOR SLOTTING VENETIAN BLIND SLATS Filed June 19, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 iii.) :y u|

March 6, 1951 u J. fr. LLOYD l 2,543,917

MACHINE FOR SLOTTNG VENETIAN BLIND SLATS Filed June 19, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 6, 1951 UNITED-'STATES PATENT OFFICE MacniNn Fon sLo'r'rlNG VENETIAN BLIND sLA'rs John T. Lloyd, Philadelphia, Pa. Application June 19, 1946, Serial No. 677,765

(Cl. 14A-136) 2 Claims. l

This invention relates to machines for form.- ing rope slots transversely in slats for Venetian blinds, and more especially slats of the thin dat wooden type.

The object of the present invention isV to provide a simple inexpensive machinecapable of slotting a plurality of slats simultaneously and accurately.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan view;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse. sectional elevation taken on the line 3--3, Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 4-Ll, Fig. 3. v

As shown in the drawings, the machine comprises an elevated horizontal basek structure having a fiat top element I provided with supporting legs 2, 2 and a substantially centrally located tubular elevator well 3 for reception of a hollow cylindrical elevator plunger 4.

The upper end of the plunger 4 is provided with a rigidly coupled elevator platform 5v from the lower side of which depends oneor more guide pins t, t. The guide pins- 6, S pass through appropriate guiding openings "l, l formed in the base i and cooperate with the pins 6 to prevent rotation of the platform A5 about the axis of the plunger 4, while permitting vertical rise and fall ci said platform relative to said-base.

Superposed above and lying in a horizontal plane substantially parallel to the plane of the elevator platform 5 and the` base i, is a transversely shiftable work-supporting table Ill, the underside of which is provided with depending lugs l I, li bored to receivev and slide on horizontal guide rods l2 l2, the opposite endsV` respectively of which are rigidly secured in supporting lugs i3, I3 carried by or formed integral with the elevator platform 5 from which said lugs project `upwardly.

The work table lll is adapted to be shifted back and forth relative to the platform -5 by means of a hand lever l5 which is pivoted at i4 to the platform E, and is provided with a longitudinal slot it through which extends a shift pin il depending from the underside of the work table It.

The elevator plunger 4, and consequently the elevator platform 5, is adapted to be .raisedand lowered by a bicycle chain, or equivalent flexible cable, etc.,r i8, one end of which is secured at i9 at the lower end of the plunger .4, Ywhile the opposite end is secured to a transverse shaft 2li rotatably mounted in bearings 2l and 22 carried lby the base i fore and aft respectively of the plunger well 3. i

'She shaft 2i! iscircumferentially grooved at 23 to receivea reduced end 24 on a screwY 25 in the bearing 2i to prevent axial shifting of the Shaft 2t and thereby retain-the/lfting chain or Ycable IS in axial alignment with the plunger i and its bearing tube 3.

ri-he outer end of the shaft 20 is provided with a hand wheel 26 having a handle grip 2'I by which the shaft 20 may be rotated, in either direction to wind the elevator cable i8 on and unwind it from the shaft 2|] to raise or lower the platform 5 and work ,tabley lil, as the case may be.

The lower end of the plunger 4 is provided with a collar 28. xed thereto and provided with an adjustable stop 29 adapted to engage the` lower end of the well tube 3, to limit the upward movement of the platform 5 and work table l. The plunger 4 is slotted at 3G, 30. to permit the rise and fall thereof with respect to the shaft 2i] which passes through` said slots 3U.

The work table li) is provided with'adjustable -fences 3l. 3l between which a plurality of blank slats :'c, .r are adapted to be stacked, with one end of each slat abutting an adjustable gage stop 32, by which the position of the rope slots y, y are governed with respect to the ends 2,. e. of said slats.

The fences 3i, 3|. are in the form of angle bars disposed with one ange horizontally resting on the top surface of the work table l0 and slotted transversely to receive clamp screws 33 tapped into the work plate lll, said fences being adjustable laterally to receive slats of various widths therebetween.

The gage 32v is provided with a depending lug 34 bored. to receive and'slide on a horizontal guide rod 35 having one end anchored in a lug 35 depending from the work table Iii. The gage 32 carries a butterfly-headed screw 3l by which the gage can be clamped in its adjusted position on the rod 35.

The work table lil carries a pair of clamps 38, 38 by which the stack of blank slats may be rigidly held in the channel or groove formed between the guide fences 3|, 3l with the ends z, 2 thereof abutting the gage 32.

The clamps, 38, 38 are adjustable on the outer ends of horizontal levers 39, 39 pivoted at it to clamp brackets 4| carried by and projecting upwardly from the table iii. The clamp levers 3S are connected by links 42 to operating levers 43 which are pivoted at 44 to the brackets di and are adapted to be rocked forwardly until they engageK stop pins 45 on the .clamp levers 39 to effect a toggle action by which the clamps Sii arey held rigidly ,against the slats 3:, a: and, in turn, hold theslats tightly to the table It.

The base I has a bracket 4S projecting verti- :cally from the top surface thereofV and which includes a bridge arm 4l extending horizontally pverthe table ito receive a motor i8 by which a rotary routing tool lil!) is `driven to produce the 3 transverse slots y, y in the slats cc, at predetermined distances from the ends z, z thereof.

With the work platform lll in its low position, and a stack of slats :l: clamped rigidly between the fences 3|, 3| and with the ends z, z of the slats abutting the gage 32, the mo-tor 48 is started and the routing tool 50 is thereby rotated at high speed.

The table I is then raised by operating the hand wheel 26, until the uppermost slat comes into contact with the lower end of the routing tool 50 which then bores a straight cylindrical hole through the entire stack of slats .'r, .'r, until the stop 29 on the plunger 4 engages the stop formed by the bottom end of the plunger bearing tube 3.

The table Il, and the slats x carried thereby, are then moved back and forth, relative to the rotating router 50 by operation of the hand lever |5, whereby the longitudinal cutting edges of the router 50 cut into the slat stock as one side of the aforesaid circular hole initially formed in the stack of slats 1:,

The length of the slots y, y, transversely of the slats is controlled by a pair of stop collars 52, 52 adjustably secured to a rod 53 projecting horizontally from the rear edge of the Work table I0, said collars operating at opposite sides respectively of a stop rib 54 on one side of the motor bracket 46.

The one end of the rod 53 is anchored in a lug 55 formed on the underside of the work table I0 and that portion of the Stop rod 53 between the stop collars 52, 52 thereon is preferably slidably mounted in a suitable bearing formed in said rib.

It will be understood that the routing tool 5i) has wood or metal cutting edges on its lower end by which the tool drills the initial straight hole through the stack of slats carried by the work table l0; and that the tool 50 is also provided with side cutting edges 5| which cut into the slat stock and form the tranverse slots y, y, when the table |0 is shifted laterally with respect to the tool 50 after said tool has rst formed the initial hole in the slats.

Obviously, the two operations may be carried on simultaneously if desired, i. e., the hand wheel 26 may be operated to feed the cutter into the stack of slats a short distance and the handle |5 may be operated to shift the slats laterally with respect to the tool alternately with the operation of the hand wheel 26 until the slots y, y are completed.

In addition to making transverse slots in' Venetian blind slats to accommodate the elevating ropes of the blinds, the machine herein disclosed is also adapted for grooving and slotting the head rails of the blind structures. For this purpose, the fences 3|, 3| are removed from their longitudinal position on the work table I0 and are placed in a transverse position on said table, with the fences secured in place by the screws 33, 33, being threaded into tapped holes 59, 59 in the table I0.

The head rail of a Venetian blind is moved longitudinally between the repositioned fences in a path transversely of the table l0 beneath the tool 50 and the table l0 is operated as hereinbefore described to effect contact between the work and the tool.

In order that the head rails may be passed transversely across the table IU, the base of the motor bracket 46 is provided with an open boxlike lower portion 60 having a channel 6| through which the head rail may be readily passed di- 4 rectly from the top surface of the work table I0.

If desired, the rise and fall of the work table IB may be accomplished by afoot pedal 56, through a rod and chain or other flexible element 5l wrapped around and lying in a groove 58 formed in the hub of the hand wheel 26.

It will be understood that while the appended claims refer to the machine as a device for slotting Venetian blind slats, for which the machine was especially designed, this qualification is not intended to limit the scope of the claims exclusively thereto as the machine is capable of slotting and grooving articles of various kinds, as will be apparent from the above reference to the slotting and grooving of head rails.

I claim:

1. A slotting machine for Venetian blinds and the like comprising a base structure, a bracket rigidly mounted on said base, a rotary tool having end and side cutting edges and operable about a vertical axis mounted in said bracket, means for rotating said spindle, said tool being in a xed vertically spaced position from said base structure, a horizontal Work table mounted on said base and adapted to have vertical movement with respect to the base, a'second horizontal work table supported on the rst horizontal table and adapted to have lateral movement with respect to said first table, quick acting means including a treadle for raising and lowering both work tables with respect to the base structure, a lever pivoted on the first work table and adapted to engage a projection on the second work table whereby the second work table may be quickly shifted laterally with respect to the first work table, an adjustable stop connected to the second work table and adapted to abut the bracket for controlling the lateral shifting amplitude of the second worktable, a pair of spaced, parallel guides adjustably mounted on the second work table adapted to retain a stack of Venetian blind slats therebetween, an adjustable stop centrally positioned with respect to an end of said guides, and toggle means for quickly clamping the slats end- Wise against the stop and between the guides.

2. A slotting machine for Venetian blinds and the like comprising a base structure, a bracket rigidly mounted on said base, a rotary tool having end and side cutting edges and operable about a vertical axis mounted in said bracket, means for rotating said spindle, said tool being in a fixed vertically spaced position from said base structure, a horizontal work table mounted on said base and adapted to have vertical movement with respect to the base, a second horizontal work table supported on the first horizontal table and adapted to have lateral movement with respect to said first table, quick acting means including a treadle for raising and lowering both work tables with respect to the base structure, a lever pivoted on the first work table and adapted to engage a projection on the second work table whereby the second work table may be quickly shifted laterally with respect to the first work table, an adjustable stop connected to the second Work table and adapted to abut the bracket for controlling the lateral shifting amplitude of the second work table, a pair of spaced, parallel guides adjustably mounted on the second work table adapted to retain a stack of Venetian blind slats therebetween, said guides being positioned to retain a stack of slats at right angles to the direction of movement of the second table, means for securing the guides parallel to the direction of movement, a tunnel in the bracket in alignment 5 6 with the guides whereby an elongated Venetian Number Name Date blind member may be positioned between the 410,975 Jesson et a1 Sept. 10, 1889 guides and through the tunnel, and toggle means 478,431 Houston July 5, 1892 for quickly clamping the slats between the guides. 484,225 Nichols Oct. 11, 1892 JOHN T. LLOYD. 5 699,008 Phillips Apr. 29, 1902 '706,079 Mechln Aug. 5, 1902 REFERENCES CITED 885,408 Wadkn et a1 Apr. 21, 1908 The following references are of record in the 2,166,831 Wazaa July 18 1939 le Of this patent: lo FOREIGN PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Country Date Number Name Date 141,828 Germany June 13. 1903 275,002 White Apr. 3, 1883 

